This invention relates to the dilution and activation of a polymer in water and, more particularly, to an improved assembly which accomplishes such dilution and activation without any moving parts.
Polymers are typically used in treating wastewater by liquid/solid separation. The polymer is typically transported to the wastewater treatment facility with its molecules tangled together in many microscopic size balls coated with an oil-like film (i.e., in beads). To utilize the polymer, the polymer is diluted in water and activated by breaking up the bead surface film and untangling the molecules of the polymer.
It would be desirable to provide an assembly for activating polymers diluted with water that does not use mechanical mixers, automatically compensates for fluctuations in the flow rate of the polymer and the water, prevents the polymer from activating prematurely, and results in a high percentage of polymer activation.
The foregoing and additional objects are attained in accordance with the principles of this invention by providing an assembly for mixing a polymer with water and activating the polymer. The assembly comprises a mixing chamber having a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet orifice having a peripheral seat at its distal end. Water is introduced to the first inlet and polymer is introduced to the second inlet. A plug outside the mixing chamber is yieldably biased against the outlet orifice seat. Accordingly, the flow of the mixed water and polymer exerts a force against the plug from within the mixing chamber which causes the plug to move away from the outlet orifice seat against the biasing force holding the plug against the seat. This provides a small gap between the plug and the outlet orifice seat which results in the activation by shearing of polymer passing through the gap.
In accordance with an aspect of this invention, the outlet orifice seat is formed as a planar circle and the plug is a sphere having a diameter greater than the diameter of the circle.
In accordance with another aspect of this invention, the ratio of the diameter of the sphere to the diameter of the circle is approximately four to three.
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the outlet orifice seat has a cross-section shaped as a right angled corner.